Fluid-pressure-purifying system.



G. M. SPENCER.

FLUID PRESSURE PURIFYING SYSTEM.

- APPLICATION FILED we. 14, 1909.

OF 1' a Q g \r WITNE88E8: INVENTOR 2% v clmrgettfbsgwmx ATTORNE Y5Cfl-UIIIA WWII COQWAIKINGTON. D. C.

G. M. SPENCER. FLUID PRESSURE PURIFYING SYSTEM.

1,100,688. I APPLIilATIQN FILED AUG. 14, 1909. 16, Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

MUTNE88E8: 1 INVENTOR M G/QOY' .S'PQJYLCB'C BY W UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

GEORGE M. SPENCER, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR r0 rrtnnnn'ro w.LORD, of NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLUID-PBESSUBE-PURIFYING SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certainnew anduseful Improvements in Fluid Pressure- Purifying Systems, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to a system for cleaning orpurifying an elastic fluid used for compression purposes and especiallyair employed as a part of an air-brake system for railway purposes, suchas disclosed in my Patent No. 877,959, granted to me February 4th, 1908.In the patent referred to a large part of the air used in the operationof the air-brake system is trapped under a reduced pressure for re-use,and this air or volume by expansion is reduced in temperature therebydecreasing the heat caused by compression. In this patent and in theordinary system employed in connection with brake systems or other aircompression methods, such as air-hoist means and in mines, quarries,etc., where a compression or power cylinder is employed and particularlyin dusty locations the air which is used becomes more or lesscontaminated and mixed with dust, ashes and other gritty matter which isvery objectionable, inasmuch as it is liable to cut and destroy theworking parts of the machinery. The air drawn in by the pump which issupplied from the engineers valve or power cylinder after the brakes areapplied, as for example in my patent referred to, is drawn from theatmosphere. In certain systems where the air is drawn from the outsideby the usual compression pump, it has been proposed to provide a screenor similar method to remove some of the dust or other gritty matter, butthis is very ineffective and is further objectionable from the fact thata screen would soon become clogged with the dust requiring much greaterpower for the pump or other means to draw the air into the compressioncylinders, thereby materially adding to the power required and likewiseresulting in considerable loss without effecting a proper cleaning orpurification of the air or other elastic fluid.

The primary object of the invention is to overcome the objectionsreferred to and to provide means which is applicable to a fluidpressurebrake system such as disclosed in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 14, 1909.

Patented June 16, 1914. Serial No. 512,875.

my patent and for many other purposes in Wl11Cl1 air or an elastic fluidmay be drawn directly from the atmosphere and substan tially all theparticles of dust or other gritty or objectionable matter which islikely to inure the pump or other mechanism may be effectually removed,and in such a way that there will be no loss of power through theoperation of the machinery and least possible restriction to the pumpintake.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient meansand method whereby the air may be cleaned or purified as the same entersa tank or receptacle.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple means which maybe used in connection with trapping and re-use of air from an engineersvalve of a brake system or other power cylinder.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinaftermore particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and will then be pointed out inthe claims at the end of the description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation partly diagrammatic, of oneform of means embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is an enlargedsectional view, partly in elevation, of a part of the means for trappingthe air and the means employed for purifying the air or fluid.

While I show and shall describe the invention as applied moreparticularly to an air-brake system such as may be employed for streetand similar railway cars or trains, it is to be understood that themeans and method employed in connection with the purification of the airor elastic fluid may be used for various purposes, whether in mines,quarries, air-hoists or in other connections, and that in certain casessome of the parts shown may be dispensed with.

The engineers valve 10 may be connected to a brake cylinder 10* and bymeans of a pipe or connection 11 to a supply tank 12. A connection 13extends from the valve 10 to a tank or receptacle 14, and leading fromthe receptacle 14 is'a pipe 15 connected to the inlet of a pumpingelement 16 which may be operated by a motor or otherwise, and the outletof the pumping element 16 may be connected by a pipe 17 to the supplytank or reservoir 12. These parts while differing slightly in appearanceand construction from that shown in the patent referred to aresubstantially the same in principle and in operation sofar as thefeatures re ferred to are concerned.

A valve 18 is used in the pipe or connection 13 fromthe engineers valve10, and this valve is of an automatic type which will permit air or afluid to pass within the tank or receptacle 14, but not to returnthrough said valve. This valve has a casing 19 and movable in the casingis a valve stem 20 011 which are arranged disk-like or other valves 21and 22. The valve 21 when resting on the seat 23 is adapted to close anopening 24 and the valve 22 controls an opening 25 in said casing. Aswill be seen when air from the engineers valve or device 10 is operatedto apply the brakes, the exhaust from the cylinder or a large partthereof will pass under pressure through the connection 13, and willraise the valve 21 from its seat, closing the opening 25 by means of thevalve 22 until the pressure within the tank substantially equals that inthe brake cylinder. At this time owing to the greater area of the valve21, the stem will be forced downward to close the opening 24, and openthe opening 25 permitting the surplus air to escape into the atmosphere.

The connection 15 leading tov the pum or pumping element 16 may beprovided with an automatic valve 26 to provide against leakage throughthe pump. As shown this valve has a casing 27 in which a stem 28 ismovable. This stem 28 carries a valve 29 which is adapted to close anopening 30 in the valve seat 31, and said valve is normally forcedtoward its seat by a spring 32. The end of the stem 28 bears against oris attached to a diaphragm 31 which is held in the casing or member 33,and said casing 33 may be held to an extension or part 34 forming a partof the casing 27 said part 34 serving to guide the stem 28. Thediaphragm 32 is so arranged in the member or casing 33 of the valve asto provide a chamber 35, and connecting this chamber with the chamber 36of the valve casing 27 is a pipe 37 in which is a check valve 38 whichopens inwardly. When the pump operates to withdraw the air from the tank14 to force the same into the main supply tank or reservoir or otherplace, it will withdraw the air from under the diaphragm 32" through theconnection 37, and owing to the greater area or surface of saiddiaphragm as compared with the valve 29, the said valve will be forcedfrom its seat to permit the air from the tank 14 to be withdrawntherefrom, but as soon as the pump stops, there will be suthcientleakage past the stem 28 into the chamber 35 to permit the valve 29 withthe assistance of the spring 32 to become seated, thereby preventing theescape of air from the tank 14, though a separate passage or port may beprovided for this purpose.

To purify the air when drawn from the atmosphere to supply the amountlacking when the pump is operating and which does not come from thepower device or cylinder, I arrange at or near the bottom of the tank14, a device or connection 39. This device 39 is angular in form and hasone part, as 40, opening into the atmosphere and provided with a checkvalve 41 to permit the air to pass into the device but not baclnvardtherefrom, and said connection has a part 42 leading into the tank orreceptacle 14. The part 40 may be at right angles to theinwardly-extending part 42 so that the air while being drawn within thedevice 39 will. be deflected at an angle and will strike the angularportion 43 of said device. As the pump operates, the pressure within thetank will be reduced below that of atmospheric pressure, and theatmospheric air will then enter said device through the open end 40 andwill pass downward striking the bottom of the part 43 which will forcethe dirt and other objectionable matter to the bottom where the dust anddirt will collect, leaving the air above the same substantially freefrom such particles. The objectionable matter collected at the point 43is pushed along by the moving air into the tubular part 42, the more orless clean air remaining at the upper portion of said tubular part 42.This tubular part 42 is provided with a cap 44 at one end and anelongated slot 44 under the same through which the air under pressurepasses. This will cause the air to be again deflected before it can passinto the tank or receptacle 14, and this will serve to drive the dustand other objectionable matter directly to the bottom of the tank. Theair as it passes through the opening of the slot 44" of the device willexpand, it having been found that the expansion and the positive drivingand deflection of the air will cause i the particles of dust and othergritty material to remain at the bottom of the tank, though the tank mayhave water or a liquid, as oil, applied to the lower part thereof toassist in the adhesion and the holding of the dust, etc., at the bottomof the receptacle, but in practice this is not necessary as much willdepend upon the relative proportion and sizes of the parts. By thismeans, the dust and other particles which are likely to injure theworking parts of the machinery will remain at the bottom of the tank andwill not again commingle with the air so that the latter can bewithdrawn from the tank 14 in such a way that the open end. of the part40 will provide free access for the air, thus the liability to cloggingis overcome and the elliciency of the apparatus is materially increased.

It will be seen that under the construction the air in its flow to thepump or compressor intake has the least possible restriction andparticularly only that which is due to the natural friction and thatsuch unrestricted flow is very desirable and in fact necessary to thepractical working of an apparatus of this kind. It will be further seenthat the air with the dust-laden particles or other gritty matter as itenters the open end of the part 40 descends in a vertical directionserving to force the particles therewith, and owing to the deflecting ofthe air at the part 413, the particles will be collected at this pointand will be moved bodily and into the tubular part 42 at substantiallyright angles to its inflow causing the particles to move along thebottom of the tubular part 42, and as the air is again deflected throughthe slot 44?, it will positively drive and force the particles to thebottom of the receptacle against the wall thereof or a suitable liquid:or other adhesive substance on the bottom of the tank, and owing to thesaid deflection and the expansion, the air free of its particles willpass to the upper part of the tank leaving the said particles at thebottom thereof. This action of the device, therefore, does not restrictthe flo-w of the air except for a minimum of natural friction as theopenings are large enough for this purpose, and there is, therefore, noincrease, decrease or retarding of the natural flow of the air orgaseous fluid. The invention, therefore, accomplishes an effectivepurification of the air and gaseous fluid by the flow of the volume ofair, deflection, gravity, expansion, distribution and adhesion either onthe tank direct or by a suitable liquid contained in the tank, and itwill be seen that the particles are positively driven and actuallyapplied to the bottom of the tank causing the purified air when onceseparated to pass directly from and out of contact of the particlesseparated therefrom.

In trapping the air and utilizing the same from a power cylinder, theair after being used is exhausted through the connection 13 past thevalve 18 as already explained, into the tank 1 1 from which it may bepumped into a supply tank by the pumping means 16 or otherwise, and asthe pump or pumps continue to operate, any lack of air within the tank14 will cause the air from without to pass through the device 39 and tobe deflected causing the dust to settle at the bottom at the part 43,and to be carried along by the volume of air, and as the air expands dueto the reduction below atmospheric pres sure in the tank 141, theparticles will be dropped directly on the bottom and will remain thereleaving the air with the tank and which is pumped from the top thereofthrough the connection 15 substantially free from dust and other grittyor objectionable matter which is likely to injure the machinery.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that simple and efficient means isprovided for purifying an elastic fluid as air; that the method andmeans herein disclosed is adapted for various purposes and in variouscon nections; that said means for purifying the fluid may be used inconnection with an airbrake system or independent thereof; that simplemeans is provided for trapping a large part of the air used forair-brake and other mechanisms for re-use; and that simple means isprovided whereby the air or fluid may be properly controlled.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a system for purifying an elastic fluid, areceptacle having an inlet and an outlet, controlling means for theoutlet, said inlet consisting of sharply angled piping, a depositingsurface for the impurities lying under said piping, the said pipinghaving a portion thereof immediately overlying and parallel to thedepositing surface, and a slot on the under side of said portion of thepiping through which the fluid is deflected upon the depositing surface.

2. A method of purifying an elastic fluid Which consists in causing thefluid to flow into a chamber at a point immediately above an adhesivesurface, the fluid being deflected to partly separate the impuritiesbefore reaching the chamber and then causing the fluid to have aseconddeflection to impinge it upon the adhesive surface to drive the impurities thereupon and to permit it to expand within the chamber.

3. The method of purifying an elastic fluid, which consists in causingthe fluid to flow into a chamber at the lower part thereof and to bedeflected at substantially right angles from its inflow before reachingthe chamber, causing the fluid after being deflected to pass atsubstantially right angles to its former flow before its deflection andcausing the same to drive the separated particles along with the sameand then deflecting the fluid a second time to drive the particles tothe bottom of the chamber and to expand within the chamber, the fluidhaving an unrestricted flow to, through and from the chamber.

4. The method of purifying air, which consists in causing the air toflow into a chamber at the lower part thereof and to be deflected atsubstantially right angles from its inflow before reaching the chamber,causing the air after being deflected to flow at substantially rightangles to its former flow before its deflection, then deflecting the aira second time to drive the particles to the bottom of the chamber and toexpand within said chamber.

5. The method of purifying an elastic fluid, which consists in causingthe fluid to flow into a chamber at the lower part thereof and to bedeflected to partly separate the impurities before reaching the chamber,and then causing the fluid to have a second deflection and to expandwithin the chamber and to drive the impurities to the bottom thereof.

6. The method of purifying an elastic fluid, Which consists in causingthe fluid to have a substantially unrestricted flow into a chamher atthe lower part thereof and to be deflected at substantially right anglesfrom its inflow before reaching the chamber, causing the fluid afterbeing deflected to flow at substantially right angles to its former flowbefore its deflection and causing the same to drive the particles alongwith the same and separated therefrom, and then deflecting the air asecond time to drive the particles to the bottom of the chamber and toenter and expand within said chamber, the fluid having an unrestrictedflow from and through the chamber.

7. The combination with a receptacle having an outlet, of pumping meansconnected to the outlet, and a device comprising an angular tubular andhorizontally arranged connection having a part provided with a slot andextending within the receptacle, and a part communicating with theatmosphere and arranged at an angle with respect to the inwardlyextending part. 8. The combination with a receptacle hav- 1ng an outlet,of pumping means connected. to the outlet, and a device comprising atubular connection having a part provided with a slot and extendingwithin the tank, and a part connnunicating with the atmosphere, and acheck valve arranged in said latter part.

9. The combination with a receptacle having atmospheric and pressureinlets and an outlet, a pumping element connected to said outlet,automatically actuated valves arranged in the outlet and pressure inlet,

means to open said outlet at starting of said pumping element, and meansto close said outlet after the pumping element is out of operation.

10. The combination with a receptacle having atmospheric and pressureinlets and an outlet, a pumping element connected to said outlet, anautomatically actuated valve arranged in the outlet and in the pressureinlet, means to open said outlet at starting of said pumping element,means to close said outlet after the pumping element is out ofoperation, and means whereby the fluid may be exhausted when itspressure substantially equals the pressure in the receptacle.

11. The combination with a receptacle having an inlet and an outlet, asource of pressure supply for the inlet, means for exhausting thereceptacle, and a valve for controlling the source of supply and havingan outlet communication whereby the fluid may be caused to automaticallyescape when the pressure within the receptacle and that of the supply issubstantially equal.

12. The combination with a receptacle having an inlet and an outlet, asource of pressure supply for the inlet, means for exhausting thereceptacle, and means for con trolling the source of supply and havingmeans whereby the fluid may be caused to automatically escape when thepressure within the receptacle and that of the supply is substantiallyequal.

13. In a system for purifying an elastic fluid, a receptacle having aninlet and an outlet, inlet and outlet controlling means, said inletcomprising sharply angled piping, a slot in said piping and a depositingsurface for the impurities lying under and adjacent to said slot andparallel therewith.

This specification signed and witnessed this 11th day of August A. D.1909.

GEORGE M. SPENCER.

Vitnesses V. A. Townnn, Jr., C. BARTELS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Rum. Washington, I). C.

